SAN ANTONIO – The City of Boerne announced Tuesday that Ray Hacker was promoted to fire chief.
Hacker, 57, has been serving as the interim fire chief since the retirement of the city’s long-time chief, Doug Meckle, in June.
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Hacker is from Boerne and graduated from Boerne High School, according to a statement from the city. Before he was appointed assistant fire chief for the city of Boerne in 2008, Hacker spent 24 years working for the New Braunfels Fire Department where he oversaw 28 firefighters as a fire captain.
City Manager Ben Thatcher said the city is excited to have Hacker in the role as both a pillar of the community and an experienced leader.
“With over 40 years of firefighting and leadership experience we are excited to announce Ray’s promotion to serve as our next fire chief," Thatcher said. “Ray has a lot of support among our firefighters on staff as well as across the community. Based on the information gathered, we made the decision to offer Ray the promotion without seeking outside applicants for the position."
Boerne underwent a two-month-long internal search process led by Deputy City Manager Jeff Thompson, according to a statement from the city. Thompson interviewed more than 40 stakeholders to gather input on the knowledge, abilities and personal attributes that the community was seeking in its next fire chief.
All current members of the Boerne fire department were interviewed, the city said in a statement.
Hacker issued the following statement on his promotion:
“I am truly honored to serve the Boerne and Kendall County area as Fire Chief and, working alongside our team of experienced and dedicated officers and firefighters, we will continue bringing a high level of safety and service to our community.”